Lindsey and Dirk had known each other for some time before they became a couple. “We both love line dancing and have done for over 15 years,” says Lindsey. “So, we had come to know each other that way. I needed someone to go to a country performance with me. None of my friends could go, so I approached Dirk, and asked him. Then we got to know each other better.”

A significant date

After eight years together, Dirk proposed. “Dirk got down on one knee on 2/2/22,” says Lindsey. “I’ve had a thing since childhood for the hour 22:22, so 2/2/22 was the perfect date for the marriage proposal.”

"He had been evasive all week and said that he was going to cook for us that day (he never cooks normally). When I came home from work, he had the perfect excuse and said he hadn't had time to cook and that we were going out to have dinner instead. No sooner said than done, we drove to the restaurant 't Valentijntje in Gent. Then, during dessert, he got down on one knee and we both spent 15 minutes literally crying with joy!”

Bridal shops Gent

“I discovered WED2B through Facebook,” says Lindsey. “I had actually already visited other bridal shops Gent and bought a wedding dress somewhere else. Originally, I wanted a big princess dress. However, in the other shop, for convenience and because I wanted to be able to dance at our wedding, I was persuaded to buy a boho-style dress. I hesitated for a long time after buying it. Then, at the last fitting, I decided it wasn’t the dress for me.”

“After that I had to rush to find a wedding dress, just one month before the wedding. Luckily, I immediately found the right dress at WED2B. I followed my heart and came out with the most beautiful princess dress! I need to say a big thank you to the WED2B Gent team, especially Natasja, for making everything possible. They also immediately contacted a seamstress to have the necessary alterations made on time. In short, WED2B saved my wedding!”

A dream dress

“I wanted a real princess dress and I chose Raelynn by Viva Bride,” says Lindsey. “The three-quarter-length sleeves immediately appealed to me and the A-line shape fitted me perfectly. My curves were nicely wrapped up in this dress and accentuated where they needed to be accentuated. I had a little panic, as the dress was no longer available in a size 38, but size 36 fitted me like a glove. Only the length of the dress had to be adjusted, so it was as if the dress was made for me.”

A fairytale castle venue

The couple married at Saffelaere Castle in Lochristi on 2nd September 2022. “With a princess dress comes a castle and we immediately fell in love with the venue when we went to see it,” says Lindsey. “We live in nearby Wachtebeke and a large part of the family is from here so, in terms of location, this was ideal. We were also won over by Herman and Petra’s great reception and the delicious food. Kasteel van Saffelaere is run by ordinary people who have your best interests at heart and who will make sure your day is perfect down to the last detail.”

The big day

“We were very lucky with the weather and it was a beautiful day from start to finish,” says Lindsey. “We wanted to honour the tradition that my husband shouldn’t see me in the dress beforehand. So, he joined his son in the morning to get him ready while I left for the hairdresser. I had extensions and curls in my hair for the first transformation. Makeup was done at our house by a friend who is a professional make-up artist.”

"Then we waited for the exciting moment when my husband came to pick me up in the Mustang Convertible we had rented especially for the day.”

A low-key ceremony

“We didn’t have a ceremony as such, just a wedding in the town hall where my best friend and my husband’s son were our witnesses,” says Lindsey. “For me, the most special moment during the ceremony was exchanging the rings because it all suddenly became very real.”

“After the ceremony, we had photos taken in and around the Mill Museum at Puyenbroeck,” says Lindsey. “There are so many beautiful places just a stone’s throw from our home. After the photos, it was time for the reception at Saffelaere Castle. We made a special request to hold the reception in the garden of the castle, which turned out to be a beautiful location.”

Country music lovers

“We are both line dancers and lovers of country music, so we asked a musician friend to perform a few acoustic country songs during the reception,” says Lindsey. “This immediately created a very relaxed atmosphere. It also made it feel like ‘our’ party, because we were able to give it our special touch.”

The perfect first dance

“For our opening dance we had, of course, also chosen a country song, ‘In Case You Didn’t Know’ by Brett Young. Every year we go to a country festival together in London. The moment we heard this song, we looked at each other and both said at the same time, ‘This is our opening dance’. We even planned a whole dance routine beforehand. However, due to the size of the dress, this turned out not to be such a simple task! Nevertheless, it looked beautiful, especially as the dress really came into its own with the many turns in the dance.”

Personal touches

“We had personalised table names that were all fun reminders of us,” says Lindsey. “For example, we had a table with the name of our dance club and a table called Nashville, which referred to a trip a few years ago.”

“We also provided party rules on each table with playful rules for our guests. There was a Photobooth too, and this was really the success of the evening. It produced so many fun photos and there was a queue of people waiting to use it all night. Our favours were personalised M&Ms and hangover water, labelled with our names and the date.”

Dancing the night away…

“Later, we had a DJ who played music all evening. There was also an hour of line dance music by the same artist who played the acoustic set at the reception,” says Lindsey.

The best bits…

“The most memorable moments were the opening dance, the first moment my husband saw me in my dress and exchanging rings at the town hall.”

My top tips…

“Follow your heart and make it your day!” says Lindsey. “You have to fall in love with the dress, not choose with your head. In our case, the country/line dance performance made the evening for us. We were apprehensive about doing this at first. Lots of our guests were not line dancers and had nothing to do with country music, but that made the evening ‘our’ evening. Also, all the guests were actually super excited about it. It meant they could finally see what we’ve both been doing for so many years of dancing and get to know the music.”

Lindsey and Dirk’s Dream Team

Venue: Kasteel van Saffelaere

Bridal shops Gent: WED2B

Florist: Interflower Lokeren

Stationery: Kaartje2go

Favours and decorations: Weddingdeco NL

Hair: The Hairstillyst Zelzate

If you would like us to feature your big day, like this lovely wedding, then please click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch. Your nearest WED2B is closer than you think, click here for bridal shops and here for what to expect when you visit.